If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers make a run to the Super Bowl, it will surprise most people. However, one person who will not be surprised is Dominique Foxworth of ESPN. Foxworth appeared on Get Up and made a strong case for the Bucs to be Super Bowl contenders.
It centered around rookie sensation Ruben Bain.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl contenders,” said Foxworth. “Ruben Bain is going to be the Defensive Player of the Year; he’ll be the third blue-chip player on their defense along with (Antoine) Winfeld and Vita Vea.”
This came after Bain had a big pressure that led to a sack in one of his six snaps in his preseason debut. Bain looked like a pro despite stepping on the field for the first time, and it has Foxworth thinking the Bucs can make a run.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Have Super Bowl Upside
GettyBuccaneers Rueben Bain
The case for the Bucs to make a run is clear. First, they were 6-3 to start last season. The team was one of the most potent offenses in the NFL, and their defense was good enough. Unfortunately, the defense fell apart, and the offense could not stay healthy.
The first part should be resolved by Bain. As Foxworth notes, he brings them a third star player on the unit. The Bucs also improved their depth and will have another rookie starting next to him in Josiah Trotter.
On offense, both Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka are expected to be healthy and have big seasons. More than that, the Bucs are bringing back their offensive line.
Last year, the line could not stay healthy. Four of the five players missed time, and starting center Graham Barton had to shift to left tackle to replace Tristan Wirfs. The group never gelled. Now, most projections see the Bucs as one of the most complete offensive lines in the NFL.
If all of this can come together, it would not be a surprise to see the Bucs as one of the top teams in January.
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The team also has plenty of questions. Locker room staples Mike Evans and Lavonte David are gone. Mayfield called out the franchise publicly for how they handle contracts with their star players.
Mayfield will now enter a lame duck year as the Bucs quarterback. The same can be said for his head coach Todd Bowles, who is clearly on the hot seat.
Vita Vea missed most of training camp. They have fresh faces on defense, but are also leaning on a lot of unproven youth to step up. It could take time to gel.
The Bucs could start slow due to the rookies and Vea taking time to get up to speed. With changing leadership and the two men at the top having no commitments beyond this year, there is room for things to go sideways in Tampa Bay.
For as much as they have Super Bowl upside, the downside of missing the playoffs is just as clear.
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